


The Only Shadows Are Those of the Night

by DaninNotrona



Category: Aveyond
Genre: Aveyond - Freeform, F/M, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:15:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22324657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaninNotrona/pseuds/DaninNotrona
Summary: Long after Ahriman's defeat, Rhen and Lars have a moment together. Gift for Bluexox for the 2019-2020 AK Winter Gift Exchange!
Relationships: Rhen Pendragon/Lars Tenobor
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	The Only Shadows Are Those of the Night

Steam rises from a cup. Pages turn. Rhen leans over the stack of papers on her desk. She shakes out her shoulders and winces. Swordfighting never wears her out anymore - not the movement of it, anyway - but this desk, in its still way, has bested her spine for a week.

Rhen puts down the pen, and stretches her arms above her head. She stands up.

The rest of these papers will have to wait.

She leaves the dark office and steps out into the courtyard to get a taste of the cool gathering night.

A crystal sways back and forth on a thread, hung before a window, catching the last dregs of sunlight. Lars, legs crossed, keeps his eyes on it, breathing in time with it, watching it cast echoes of its own blue across the room.

He pauses, sighs, and rubs his eyes, base of his palms scratching against his beard, feeling the buzz in his veins subside. In his youth, he sought power. Now, he seeks to contain it.

Stretching, he stands up. Nothing better to clear the old mana lines than a spin around the courtyard in the evening.

He leaves his darkening office, and steps out to get his own taste of the night.

Rhen finds him on the bench when she arrives, sitting before a fountain, fingers knotted in his lap. He looks up, sees her, and waves. He smiles, and she smiles back. She crosses the flagstones to him, to sit in the same place they sat near thirty years ago, watching the sky drift past above, in awe that the world was safe.

They’re both different now. Even Rhen, a sword singer, can feel the aura of power that now surrounds her old friend. Unlike those she felt around monsters and demons, though, this one is strong and warm and safe.

“Hallo, Lars,” she says, and sits down next to him.

“Hallo, Rhen,” he says back.

“Had enough of grading papers?” Lars asks. Rhen nods, and grins. The wrinkles on her face all complement the sparkle in her eye. Lars feels a sudden swell of pride. How they’ve both grown!

The Rhen he knew so long ago was only a shadow of the woman he sees before him now. The years, harsh, full, and tender all, she had met with such force of life that whatever stuffs that make up her soul now shine through her every action and look. Lars can see it, for he has learned to see such things - she is like the crystal, casting light and color everywhere she goes.

“I wouldn’t mind if we never gave out another essay again. Imagine how much time we would have spent on that when we were students here,” Rhen says, laughing. Lars laughs, too.

“I would have cheated off your tests.”

“You would have!”

Rhen sighs and shakes her head, leaning it against his shoulder. _Times have changed,_ she thinks. Essays, written tests, history lessons and other scholarship, all new since the days of her own education. Lars puts his hand on top of her head and ruffles her hair. She shuts her eyes.

Some changes are good.

Lars leans his head on hers. The smell of lavender reaches him from her hair. He chuckles.

_Of course_.

“What?” Rhen asks.

“Nothing,” Lars says, “You’re just on theme tonight.”

“Eeggghh,” Rhen says, and jabs him in the stomach. He jolts back, rubbing his side.

Now Rhen chuckles. Lars’ face softens.

“I _like_ your theme,” he says.

They settle back against each other.

“Good,” she says, and looks up towards the violet sky. Inch by inch the evening wheels over, until the light dies out and the stars fade in, a tapestry of lights above them.

Lars wraps his cloak around Rhen in the new night chill.

“I’m glad we saved this,” he says.

Rhen snuggles closer.

“Me too.”


End file.
